Bell-Ringer Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? What did they do and why were they so important?

Group Work Get into groups and prepare to analyze some propaganda from WWII. Each group will get 2 pieces of propaganda that they will analyze and PRESENT as a group answering the following questions: 1.) What is depicted in the piece? 2.) What do you think the artist is trying to convince people to do? 3.) What issue/event is the piece addressing? Who is the artist’s audience? 4.) Is this piece effective? Why? 5.) What changes would you have made?

WWII in the U.S. Double V Campaign = The “Double Victory Campaign”. Fought for African American rights abroad and in the U.S. Executive Order 8802 = Signed June 25, 1941 by FDR, it banned discrimination in the government and defense industries. A. Philip Randolph = Randolph was the key leader in the black labor movement. He fought for equal employment rights for African Americans and pressured FDR to sign Executive Order 8802.

WWII Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) = a group of students from Chicago who advocated the use of non-violence to achieve civil rights. It was founded in 1942. Tuskegee Airmen = They were the first group of African Americans aviators (people who flew planes) in the U.S. military. They fought in WWII in segregated units, separated from white soldiers. Code Talkers = Native Americans who fought in WWII and used their native languages to relay important information to each other (keeping it a secret from enemies).

WWII 1943 repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act = The Chinese Exclusion Act from 1882 was finally repealed in 1943. This meant that Chinese people could finally become legal U.S. citizens, although some laws still existed that made it difficult for them to immigrate. Zoot-Suit = minorities who carried themselves with confidence and “swagger” (even when they were expected to be submissive and not seen). Zoot-Suit Riots of 1943 = Riots broke out in Los Angeles, California in May of 1943. Los Angeles was a very diverse city, and a fight between Mexican American teens and U.S. Navy sailors led to protesting and violence.

Code-Talkers Reading *Read the handout and answer these questions:* 1.) What were the jobs given to Native Americans who joined the army during WWII? 2.) Describe the history of Native Americans in three sentences. 3.) Why do you think the Code Talkers were so successful at their jobs? What languages did they use to create their code? 4.) How old were many of the Native Americans in the army? How many tribes were represented? 5.) Why was a Code Talker’s job so serious? 6.) Some Native Americans volunteered, while others were drafted. Why do you think some wanted to fight for the U.S. and others did not? If you were a Native American living in the 1940s, would you have fought in WWII willingly?

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